I guess it has been gradual but raising and lowering the main sail has become more difficult on our C-30, 1989. The halyards are inside the mast. We have had the boat since 1992 and at that time I could raise the sail 60 percent without the winch, now @ 35 percent. I did go up the mast to look at the sheaves and it appeared to roll OK. Any insight to my problem? Thanks for the responses.
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Tom
Have the same problem
I also have a 1989 C-30. It is a real chore to raise the mainsail. I seem to have the same limits....I was thinking of going with ball bearing sheaves. However the sheaves may not be the problem.
I also have a 1989 C-30. It is a real chore to raise the mainsail. I seem to have the same limits....I was thinking of going with ball bearing sheaves. However the sheaves may not be the problem.
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Mike Turner
Lubricate the Sail Track
I had the same experience -- the main got harder and harder to raise the longer we had the boat. I bought a can of SailKote and sprayed the sail lugs before raising the main, and was able to raise the main completely except for using the winch to tighten it up (it was a light air day). Since then I've given the lugs a quick spray before each sail and so far it's worked just fine. A couple of other options I've read about but not yet tried: * Whittle down a candle so that you can fit it into the sail track between the two uppermost sail lugs. Leave it in place -- candle will wax the slide each time you raise/lower the main. * Cut a strip of plastic (credit card) to fit inside the sail track; sew it into an oil lamp wick and insert into the track between two uppermost slugs. Soak it occasionally with SailKote or other lubrication. Mike Turner S/Y Amity Long Beach, CA
I had the same experience -- the main got harder and harder to raise the longer we had the boat. I bought a can of SailKote and sprayed the sail lugs before raising the main, and was able to raise the main completely except for using the winch to tighten it up (it was a light air day). Since then I've given the lugs a quick spray before each sail and so far it's worked just fine. A couple of other options I've read about but not yet tried: * Whittle down a candle so that you can fit it into the sail track between the two uppermost sail lugs. Leave it in place -- candle will wax the slide each time you raise/lower the main. * Cut a strip of plastic (credit card) to fit inside the sail track; sew it into an oil lamp wick and insert into the track between two uppermost slugs. Soak it occasionally with SailKote or other lubrication. Mike Turner S/Y Amity Long Beach, CA
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J Olson
LUBE IT
My Main sail was the same way . It took 4 raps on the wintch drum to get the main up. I got some dry sail track lube from W/M and its been alot better . I pull my sail up by hand now. J Olson
My Main sail was the same way . It took 4 raps on the wintch drum to get the main up. I got some dry sail track lube from W/M and its been alot better . I pull my sail up by hand now. J Olson
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Anita Frumson
halyard problems
Tom: I also thought of ball bearing sheaves. Since I have SailKote already on the boat, I will try the method Mike uses. I have tried fast trac with little results. Another C-30 owner at our marina thinks the problem could be related to the halyard being caught behind the electrical conduit inside the mast if the plastic conduit has come loose somehow. I will try SailKote this weekend. Thanks for the suggestions to all.
Tom: I also thought of ball bearing sheaves. Since I have SailKote already on the boat, I will try the method Mike uses. I have tried fast trac with little results. Another C-30 owner at our marina thinks the problem could be related to the halyard being caught behind the electrical conduit inside the mast if the plastic conduit has come loose somehow. I will try SailKote this weekend. Thanks for the suggestions to all.
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Tom
How to isolate the problem
Anita: I think I have figured out how to isolate the problem. This weekend I am going to attach a downhaul to the halyard and try raising just the halyard. If it is the halyard handing on a sheave or the wiring conduit, then the halyard will be difficult to raise even buy itself without the sail. If the halyard pulls freely by itself then the problem is corrosion in the sail track. If it is corrosion in the sail track I plan to attach an old sail slug or two to the halyard and a downhaul and try working so type of lube up and down the sailtrack with out the sail. I have already tried sailkote with very little success. I will let you know how things work out. Tom S/V Tom's Cruise
Anita: I think I have figured out how to isolate the problem. This weekend I am going to attach a downhaul to the halyard and try raising just the halyard. If it is the halyard handing on a sheave or the wiring conduit, then the halyard will be difficult to raise even buy itself without the sail. If the halyard pulls freely by itself then the problem is corrosion in the sail track. If it is corrosion in the sail track I plan to attach an old sail slug or two to the halyard and a downhaul and try working so type of lube up and down the sailtrack with out the sail. I have already tried sailkote with very little success. I will let you know how things work out. Tom S/V Tom's Cruise
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Tom
Raised my main by hand today!
Anita: I got my main sail trac cleaned out and lubed up with fast trac this weekend. It worked exceptionally well. I raised the main sail by hand. I did tension it with the winch. I did pretty much what I had planned to do in the previous post. The only difference was the fast trac came with a piece of sail cloth fashioned with halyard attchments to clean the roller furling track. I opened this cleaning pouch up and remove the piece of rope that was stiched into it. I then sewed an old sail slide into it. I removed the main sail from the sail track. Then I put the new and improved sail track cleaning tool into the sail track and attached it to a halyard and a down haul. I put a good helping of fast trac lube above the sail trac cleaning tool and ran it up and down the sail trac about 10 times. After the tool went up the track the second time I knew I had it fixed!!!! Lastly when I put the main sail back on the mast. I lubed up each sail slide with fast track. Putting up the main has never been easier. Good Luck Tom S/V Tom's Cruise
Anita: I got my main sail trac cleaned out and lubed up with fast trac this weekend. It worked exceptionally well. I raised the main sail by hand. I did tension it with the winch. I did pretty much what I had planned to do in the previous post. The only difference was the fast trac came with a piece of sail cloth fashioned with halyard attchments to clean the roller furling track. I opened this cleaning pouch up and remove the piece of rope that was stiched into it. I then sewed an old sail slide into it. I removed the main sail from the sail track. Then I put the new and improved sail track cleaning tool into the sail track and attached it to a halyard and a down haul. I put a good helping of fast trac lube above the sail trac cleaning tool and ran it up and down the sail trac about 10 times. After the tool went up the track the second time I knew I had it fixed!!!! Lastly when I put the main sail back on the mast. I lubed up each sail slide with fast track. Putting up the main has never been easier. Good Luck Tom S/V Tom's Cruise
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Anita Frumson
main halyard problems
Tom, I am glad your problem corrected so easily. Yes, I tried your technique with fact trac to no avail. I also tried to raise the main halyard without the sail and abnormal tension remains. Therefore I am going to order some ballbearing sheaves and install this summer. If this does not correct the problem, come fall, Nov., drop the mast and see what the problem is. I will keep you updated. Thank you for all the interest. Anita
Tom, I am glad your problem corrected so easily. Yes, I tried your technique with fact trac to no avail. I also tried to raise the main halyard without the sail and abnormal tension remains. Therefore I am going to order some ballbearing sheaves and install this summer. If this does not correct the problem, come fall, Nov., drop the mast and see what the problem is. I will keep you updated. Thank you for all the interest. Anita
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